Online account programs

cubix

Brother is a small company turing over approx 150k pa so dont really have the work load for a full time bookeeper but enough they need someone in a couple of times a month. Anyone have any views on the online versions of account programs like sage one or similar.
Am I correct in saying all your accounts our online and not possible to backup to your pc so if you move away from that online package all you will have is reports, and is this enough for revenue if they come calling.
Thanks

dnm1234

cubix wrote: »

Brother is a small company turing over approx 150k pa so dont really have the work load for a full time bookeeper but enough they need someone in a couple of times a month. Anyone have any views on the online versions of account programs like sage one or similar.
Am I correct in saying all your accounts our online and not possible to backup to your pc so if you move away from that online package all you will have is reports, and is this enough for revenue if they come calling.
Thanks

I operate an accountancy practice in the Mid West and have recommended xero.com to many clients.

Xero is a cloud computing application. There is a free trial period with monthly payments thereafter.

The clients who have opted for are very happy and its useful for me to be able to log in to make corrections, run end of year reports etc.

PM me if you want more info....

douglastubbs

I would also agree with xero being quite good (the product and more importantly the support) but this blog might point you in the right direction as it list several points to consider. Please pm me as we have been using a web based application for over 2 years and went through several packages before settling on our current provider

http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/blog-post/which-web-based-accounting-application

francomcdaddy

Xero is about 250 notes a year.

Herbalist

Hi Cubix,

If you are choosing an online package you are right - the normal process would be that you log in online and do your accounts meaning that your data is backed up for you online and hosted by the supplier of the software which saves you having to do backup routines.

With regard to what happens if you cease going with that provider - the outcome will vary depending on who the provider is so it is a good question to ask them before you commit to one. Some for example will deny you access to the service but will provide you with a file containing your data which would be read by a program such as a spreadsheet.

There may be other options though - some accounts packages offer online and on premise versions of their accounts packages meaning you could switch from online to on premises if you wanted to, although there may be costs involved.

In terms of pricing online packages will usually allow you to pay monthly, this reduces the initial outlay involved and allows you to pay small amounts over time rather than paying a larger fee up front and 'owning' the software.

There are other considerations when thinking of going with an online accounts package -
- do you have a consistent and reliable internet access as this is important when going with an online solution
- will the package offer the features your brother needs
- Is the package compliant with Irish legislation i.e. will balances show in euro, will the software produce an Irish VAT return
- does your brother want to be able to access his accounts from mobile devices such as iPad / iPhone and does the accounts package cater for this?
- will the supplier allow you to pay monthly and what payment methods do they offer.
- Is support included in the monthly fee, during what times and where is support provided from?

One product that you could take a look at that may suit your brother is Sage One it is an online accounts and payroll package and you can get a free 30 day trial on the website.

I would suggest to take a trial of some of the online offerings out there for small business accounts so that you can see which you feel works best for you in terms of usability, functionality and price.

cubix

Cheers lads, thanks for all the replies and appreciate the indepth response Herbalist.
Dmm1234 while I understand you will favour xero as you are use to it, what would it have over sage1 which would apprear to be half the price and sortmybooks which is the same price

Thanks

Clanket

douglastubbs wrote: »

I would also agree with xero being quite good (the product and more importantly the support)

Xero support? Can someone please point me in the direction of where to get support?

We've a couple of clients that use it and last time I went looking for support I couldn't find any. All I got was a Help Centre search function and a list of financial experts.

Please tell me I'm wrong but in my opinion the support is absolutely terrible.

lakill Farm

i had a client using "economics".


All my other clients are on sage line 50. There is an accountants log in on that and i can access my clients line 50 if needed.

PM sent

annehannan

Hi Cubix

I'm from SortMyBooks.

The best online software for your brother's business would depend on the type of business it is and the sorts of features that are going to be important to him. Eg. do you want to be able to use an iPhone app to take photographs of your receipts or have emailed supplier invoices data entered for you. This feature would be available with SortMyBooks and Xero but not with SageOne. Another thing is being able to get paid by credit card from customers without having to set up a merchant account. You can email Sales invoices to customers with a payment link where they input credit card details and you get paid straight away. Again this is not available on Sage One.

The thing to look out for with Xero is that it doesn't handle Irish VAT correctly for a business with 150K turnover. Eg. this business should be on cash receipts basis for VAT. Xero is localised for UK VAT but not Irish VAT and the way cash receipts is handled is different in the UK.

Alternatively if it is a retail business then SortMyBooks has a specific screen for tracking the ins and outs on the Till.

Xero, SortMyBooks and SageOne will all offer you a free trial period to help evaluate it. On our website you can find a feature comparison between us and Sage One and Xero. This might help you decide if the additional features that we have are necessary for your brothers business.

Best of luck with the business,

Anne

cubix wrote: »

Brother is a small company turing over approx 150k pa so dont really have the work load for a full time bookeeper but enough they need someone in a couple of times a month. Anyone have any views on the online versions of account programs like sage one or similar.
Am I correct in saying all your accounts our online and not possible to backup to your pc so if you move away from that online package all you will have is reports, and is this enough for revenue if they come calling.
Thanks

larsson7

Hey
Whats the live bank feeds like in Ireland at the mo?
All banks providing this? Daily?